Belleville parents outraged after students invited to do community service at ice detention facility
The notice encouraged students to volunteer at Delaney Hall, a facility that houses immigration detainees.
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Belleville parents are sounding the alarm after some 11th-grade students received a message through Google Classroom inviting them to complete community service hours at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility.
The notice encouraged students to volunteer at Delaney Hall, a facility that houses immigration detainees. The message read: “Looking for service hours? Come help us at the ICE Detention Facility.”
Parents in the district say they were stunned — and worried.
Pastor Jennifer Delosangeles of Bet HaSHEM YHWH Ministries says the invitation felt inappropriate and potentially dangerous.
“You’re sending these kids there who can potentially be racially profiled, and you don’t know what ICE officers are going to be around them — what they’re going to do, how they’re going to make these kids feel,” Delosangeles said.
Ahead of Wednesday night’s Board of Education meeting, Dr. Erick Alfonso, superintendent of Bellville Public Schools, sent a message to the school community clarifying that the posting should never have gone out.
The district statement read in part, “The message was taken down, and we have reinforced expectations with staff to ensure that all future communications and opportunities adhere strictly to our procedures. To be clear, this opportunity was not sanctioned by the district.”
At the start of the meeting, Alfonso reiterated that the situation was addressed internally.
“We remain committed to ensuring that all students and all communications are appropriately vetted through the district… actions were taken, things were discussed, and remediations were put in place,” Dr. Alfonso said.
Despite the district’s response, many parents say they left the meeting with unresolved questions.
Delosangeles says the biggest concern now is transparency.
“What was this service actually about? Was this for ICE or a separate organization volunteering at the facility? We have the right to receive that clarification, and I believe everyone deserves to know that much,” Delosangeles said.
